In 1762 Jean-Jacque Rousseau wrote a little book called The Social Contract. As stated on the Wikipedia page for the book, Rousseau theorized about the best way in which to set up a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society.
The Social Contract argued that the people (and their general will) were divinely empowered to legislate - not the monarchs who ruled over them with an iron fist. Once again, the Wikipedia entry sums it up pretty well:
"The heart of the idea of the social contract may be stated simply: Each of us places his person and authority under the supreme direction of the general will, and the group receives each individual as an indivisible part of the whole..."
The book, and the "radical" thoughts put forth in it, would help lead to the French Revolution and the overthrow of the monarchy. While Rousseau's focus was on political philosophy, the theme of the masses taking back control of their lives from the few resonates today in what we're seeing in business. Social technologies are allowing individuals from around the world to come together and form communities (virtual sovereignties), where the group receives each individual as an indivisible part of the whole...
While much of the focus of social networks and media has been on the impact it is having on our personal lives, the affect it's having on business is just as important to understand. And the impact it's had on how customers communicate with their vendors, and each other, has been arguably the most significant business development of the last decade.
The power customers have to voice their opinions, share their experiences and bring mass attention to their concerns cannot be ignored any longer. The latest poster child for this is Kevin Smith, who tweeted about being forced off a plane for being too fat to fly. Yes he is a director, but what drove the story was Twitter and other social networks. This is the world we live in now.
The rise of "social" and the empowering affect it's had on customer-vendor relationships is the focus of our first ebook project - The Social Contract: Customers, Companies, Communities, and Conversations in the Age of the Collaborative Relationship.
This incarnation of the social contract brings together some of the best minds in business sharing their vast knowledge and experience building relationships with customers in The Social Age. Expert contributors include:
· Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
· David Alston, VP Marketing & Community, Radian6
· Ellen Filipiak, SVP Customer Care at DIRECTV
· Dr. Natalie L. Petouhoff, CRM, Customer Experience, Customer Service, and Social Media, Forrester Research
· Frank Eliason, Senior Director in National Customer Operations at Comcast
· Kevin Ryan, Vice President, Social Media at Barnes & Noble.com, Content
· Mark Simmons, Senior Director of Marketing and Customer Support, Six Apart
· Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D., Peppers & Rogers Group
· Sanjay Dholakia, Chief Marketing Officer, Lithium
· Scott Rogers, Director of Strategic Planning, David's Bridal
· Martin Murtland, Vice President & Managing Director, Dow Jones
· Tish Whitcraft, SVP of Customer Experience & Operations, MySpace
· John Burton, Director Product Management at SAP Labs
· Emily Yellin, Author of Your Call Is (Not That) Important to Us
The book is full of great information, great stories, and great insights from people focused on vendor-customer engagement - from a variety of perspectives and industries. Each contributor shares their unique experience serving customers today. Collectively, their stories form a valuable reference for creating your own social contracts.
We invite you to use this link to get your free copy of The Social Contract: Customers, Companies, Communities, and Conversations in the Age of the Collaborative Relationship.